More than two-thirds of the World Cup matches "have sold out less than three hours after FIFA opened new ticket sales on Wednesday," according to the AP. Tickets for all Brazil matches "were gone in about an hour, as were the ones for all the quarterfinals and nearly all second-round matchups in the June 12-July 13 tournament." Only about 20 matches involving less traditional teams "remained available for purchase on FIFA's website." About 345,000 tickets were available in this stage, "which closes on April 1." FIFA said that "it expected to release more tickets for all matches in the last-minute sales phase that begins on April 15" (AP, 3/12).
DEMAND DOWN UNDER: In Sydney, Matt Bungard wrote the fourth round of World Cup ticket sales has begun, "with tickets to Australia’s group matches being snapped up in minutes." As is often the case with high demand events, "many unfortunate fans were stuck in virtual queues for periods of over half an hour as all the most popular tickets were gone in a flash." All tickets for games involving hosts Brazil, Argentina, Spain or Germany, as well as all tickets for the two semi-finals and the final itself, "were sold out before your could say Franz Beckenbauer." Unfortunately for Socceroos fans, "this meant that tickets to a crunch meeting with Spain in Curitiba were among the first claimed by the public, and now, are going on eBay at extortionate costs." A$90 tickets to see coach Ange Postecoglou’s men "take on the reigning champions are being sold for roughly" A$700 per ticket (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 3/13).